Only just 46% of Irish Water clients have paid their bill
Irish Water is expected to announce today that less than half of its customers have paid water charges.
Just 46% of households who must pay have done so, the company will say, almost eight months to the day since the Coalition announced the revised flat-rate charging scheme.
Government sources confirmed the figures yesterday and said the board of Irish Water was being notified of the payments before they are announced by the semi-state company today.
“They are quite good given the opposition to the charges,” said a Government source. “They will climb substantially with the new measures coming in too. The problem is a lot of people leave it until the last minute.”
Households were given until the end of June to register with Irish Water to be allowed apply for conservation grants, which will be given to customers in September. Under the revised charging structure announced by the Government last November, single adult households in receipt of the grant will pay a maximum €60 a year while multi-adult residences must pay €160 a year.
However, there is no official deadline for when households must pay their bills. Under legislation passed by the Coalition last week, customers cannot be taken to court and forced to pay their charges until at least seven unpaid bills have passed — by which time it would be 2017.
People must have unpaid water bills of at least €500 before they are taken to court for debts to be deducted from salary, welfare or pensions.
In May, the Irish Examiner revealed the average rate of registration up until February was 69%, with 10 of 26 counties having registration rates above 75%.
As of last month, more than 1.3m people had registered with Irish Water. It is expected the company will today say that 1m of these are customers who are required to pay charges. The rest include households which, while not paying for charges because they are on water schemes or have their own wells, will be entitled to the conservation grants. This means 540,000 households, having registered as customers, have yet to pay charges.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy said he and colleagues had tried six times over two months to obtain figures from Irish Water about the numbers who had paid their bills.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny surprised the Dublin TD when the Fine Gael leader said that Irish Water would reveal the data today. A Government spokesman said the Cabinet did not discuss the figures at its weekly meeting yesterday.
Irish Water refused to answer questions on the payment figures last night and would only say they would be released today.
The first billing cycle for Irish Water has just finished after bills for the first quarter of the year were delivered between April and last month. It is understood the board of Ervia, Irish Water’s parent firm, is aware of the level of payments.
The Government came under pressure in recent weeks to publish the payment figures after introducing sanctions or compliance measures to force tenants to pay charges and deduct people’s wages or dole if bills remain unpaid.
Anti-water charge campaigners are expected to use the low payment levels to criticise Irish Water and raise questions about whether the project has worked.
Meanwhile, the Right2Water campaign has announced proposals for a further national demonstration against water charges on August 29. “It’s very clear this government believes the water charges issue has gone away,” the group said in a statement. “We’re saying very firmly that it hasn’t and this will be the biggest issue when it comes to the next general election.”
The payment rates may also raise questions as to whether Irish Water will pass a Eurostat test this year as an independent entity
No qualified pancreas transplant surgeon available in Ireland
SEANAD ASKS LEO TO EXPLAIN?
Health Minister Leo Varadkar forced to appear before Seanad tonight to explain the issue.
Leo Varadkar and Surgeon David Hikey now retired.
The Government suffered two defeats in the Seanad today.
Coalition senators were outvoted by the Opposition who demanded that Health Minister Leo Varadkar appear to discuss the issue of pancreas transplants.
The Government was defeated by 24 to 23 following a Fianna Fáil motion tabled by Kerry senator Mark Daly.
Fianna Fáil Seanad leader Darragh O’Brien told the Upper House: “We have been trying to get answers from Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, for some time now, on behalf of patients whose lives are at risk, as Ireland remains without any surgeon qualified to carry out pancreas transplants.’’
Mr Varadkar was forced to then appear at 9pm tonight to discuss the issue.
Later, a Fianna Fáil motion calling for a reversal of cuts to lone parents was passed.
A Fine Gael source said they expect further defeats in the Seanad in the coming weeks due to the Government’s minority.
IAG-Aer Lingus take-over deal cleared by the EU
Merged IAG-Aer Lingus will have to offer for sale five pairs of landing slots at London Gatwick.
The proposed €1.36 billion takeover of Aer Lingus by IAG, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, has cleared its last major obstacle after the European Commission conditionally approved the deal yesterday evening.
IAG has committed to offering for sale five pairs of landing slots at London Gatwick, specifically for flights to Dublin and Belfast, to get the deal over the line. IAG has also promised the commission it will enter into agreements with IAG’s long-haul rivals to maintain route link-ups with Aer Lingus’s network.
The commission said it had concerns that the original terms of the merger would have lead to “insufficient competition on several routes”, including Dublin-London, Belfast-London and Dublin-Chicago. It said it also feared that IAG might try to prevent Aer Lingus from connecting its flights with those of IAG’s long-haul rivals. Since the deal was first notified to the commission on May 27th, however, IAG returned with specific competition remedy proposals to sway Margrethe Vestager, the competition commissioner, to rubber stamp the merger.
“By obtaining significant concessions . . . the commission has ensured that air passengers will continue to have a choice of airlines at competitive prices,” said Ms Vestager.
Under the terms of the approval, the merged IAG-Aer Lingus will have to offer for sale the five Gatwick slot pairs, although it is understood these will not necessarily be existing Aer Lingus slots. Iberia and British Airways, both owned by IAG, also own Gatwick slots. The commission has stipulated that whoever buys the slots will have to commit to use them for flights to Dublin and Belfast.
Aer Lingus and IAG confirmed to the stock market last night that at least two of the slot pairs must be used for flights to Dublin, while one must be used for Belfast. Aer Lingus shareholders are to vote tomorrow to approve measures designed to facilitate a commitment to the Government that connectivity will be maintained between Dublin and London Heathrow.
An Post seeks permission to offer customers current accounts
Providing banking services through post offices was recommended in a report done for Communications Minister Alex White in May.
An Post has applied for a licence to allow it to offer current accounts to customers.
The move is at an early stage, but could provide a threat to the major banks. It is understood An Post is seeking to operate full current accounts.
Taxpayer-rescued banks have reacted to the financial crash by gradually removing free banking options for householders.
Now the 1,000-plus post offices countrywide could challenge the dominance of the main banks by offering better-value current accounts.
An Post has been trying to get back into consumer banking since Belgium bank Fortis pulled out of a joint venture with it, called Postbank, in 2010.
Post offices currently offer banking services for customers of AIB and Ulster Bank.
An Post does not need a banking partner to offer current accounts – day-to-day payments servicing accounts. Providing banking services through post offices was recommended in a report done for Communications Minister Alex White in May by a committee headed up by entrepreneur Bobby Kerr.
Dail Independents launch Social Democrats political party
Group pledges to abolish water charges and repeal the eighth amendment
A new party called the Social Democrats has been launched by three prominent Independent TDs: Catherine Murphy from Kildare North, Wicklow’s Stephen Donnelly and Róisín Shortall who represents Dublin North West. Mary Minihan reports.
The three prominent Independent TDs who launched the Social Democrats party said they would insist on the abolition of water charges if negotiating to take part in a new government.
Catherine Murphy from Kildare North, Wicklow’s Stephen Donnelly and Róisín Shortall, who represents Dublin North West, will share the leadership of the new party until after the general election.
“If we are in a position to be negotiating a programme for government, our position is that water charges would immediately be abolished. Our position is that the public ownership of the utility would be absolutely guaranteed,” Mr Donnelly said at the launch of the party.
“Irish Water is set up for privatisation. We would immediately remove that as an option. We would immediately pause the water metering implementation.”
Mr Donnelly said his household had not paid water charges “to the best of my knowledge”.
He said his family, part of “the negative equity generation”, had moved house three times in seven months. However, he said he “probably would” pay water charges, while Ms Murphy and Ms Shortall confirmed they had not paid.
Making their announcement at the Civic Offices in Wood Quay in Dublin, the trio said they wanted to see a 2:1 investment in public services relative to tax cuts in the upcoming budget.
They were critical of the Government’s proposed 50-50 split between tax cuts and spending increases.
They also said they were committed to extending paid parental leave to move towards a system where children could be cared for at home for at least the first 12 months of their lives.
Ms Murphy said the party hoped to attract “people of conviction” to contest the election under its banner. “Our intention is to deliver a social democratic vision that is very much in the Nordic tradition,” she said.
Asked about the party’s stance on abortion, Ms Murphy said they all agreed the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution had to be repealed and replaced by legislation.
There were a variety of views in society that needed to be adequately consulted so the vast majority of people could subscribe to the legislation, she added.
Ms Shortall said the “policy-based” party hoped to contest the election in every constituency.
She said the party would make a decision about a leader after the election, when she hoped its Dáil representation would be much larger.
She said the party had done a lot of work on its proposals to enhance childcare. Quality of and access to pre-school services should be improved, she said.
The party is also proposing the establishment of “child clinics” in all communities, “so that we can practice that principle of prevention and early intervention when it comes to wellbeing, particularly in relation to children”.
Ms Shortall said nobody else had been approached to run for the party, but that would happen. She also hoped people would approach the party in the coming weeks and months.
Independent Senator Katherine Zappone, who was previously in talks with the TDs, announced last month she would contest the Dáil election as an Independent candidate in Dublin South West.
A document distributed by the party at the launch event said its key policy areas were “strong economy, open government and social vision”.
The party’s values were listed as: “progress; equality; democracy and sustainability”.
Mr Donnelly said the traditional Irish approach to planning, investment and public services was short-term. “The Irish people deserve more than this and are demanding more than this.”
There was a growing demand for better education, healthcare, jobs and society, he said.
“New vision, fresh ideas, better approaches, these are what need to be put in place and ultimately that is what today and the Social Democrats are about.”
Ms Murphy said the Social Democrats wanted to end the practice of judges being appointed by politicians.
She said they wanted to see the Official Secrets Act replaced because they believed that openness was the key to good governance.
“We’re not interested in getting into auction politics. We believe in option politics,” she said.
She said the “standard merry-go-round of scandal, inquiry and report, but no real lessons learned” had to stop. It was “corrosive and offensive” to the values of Irish people
Seaweed that tastes like bacon/rashers
Close up of dulse seaweed being grown and harvested at Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport Oregon. Chris Langdon has been growing and studying it for decades and is now working with the Food Innovation Center in Portland on creating healthly and appealing dishes.
Oregon State University researcher Chris Langdon wasn’t looking for the next hipster snack when he started growing a special strain of seaweed 15 years ago. But he may have found it.
Dulse is a leafy red seaweed that grows along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. It’s packed with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, and contains up to 16 percent protein by dry weight.
“The original goal was to create a super-food for abalone, because high-quality abalone is treasured, especially in Asia,” Langdon said in a statement, referring to a slug-like mollusk popular on restaurant tables in some parts of the world.
But when he tried the dulse himself, he realized it was surprisingly delicious — at least his version of it.
“In Europe, they add [dulse] powder to smoothies, or add flakes onto food,” Langdon said. “There hasn’t been a lot of interest in using it in a fresh form. But this stuff is pretty amazing. When you fry it, which I have done, it tastes like bacon, not seaweed. And it’s a pretty strong bacon flavor.”
When he brought in the marketing savvy of OSU business school teacher Chuck Toombs and the expert taste buds of research chef Jason Ball, dulse’s potential as people food floated to the surface.
“Dulse is a super-food, with twice the nutritional value of kale,” Toombs said. “And OSU had developed this variety that can be farmed, with the potential for a new industry for Oregon.”
Currently there are no commercial dulse-growing operations in the U.S. harvesting the plant for human consumption. But Langdon has patented his strain and Toombs’ MBA students are preparing a marketing plan for a new line of specialty foods.
“The dulse grows using a water recirculation system,” Langdon said. “Theoretically, you could create an industry in eastern Oregon almost as easily as you could along the coast with a bit of supplementation. You just need a modest amount of seawater and some sunshine.”
For the last 30 years, our dietary focus has been to reduce fats in our diets.As a result, there has been an increase in carbohydrate consumption resulting in an epidemic of 
